Away In The Night
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: Whispering softly to him, she cradled Shawn against her chest and kissed his head. As a cop, she had accepted her own mortality years ago, but the thought that something like this could happen never even occurred to her. CD.


My first Character Death in a Psych story! *cries* This was really heartbreaking to write, but it helped me find my muse. Have plenty of Kleenex ready and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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Juliet O'Hara laughed as her boyfriend slung his arm around her shoulders and drew her into the curve of his body. The night air was cool and crisp, and she could see their breaths come in small puffs.

Shawn Spencer kissed his girlfriend's head and sighed contently. For six months, he had been completely happy in a way he had never been before. And it was all because of the woman walking beside him. Just the thought of her smile lit up his darkest days, and the sound of her laugh brought joy to his heart. His hand gently rubbed her shoulder.

Suddenly he stopped and spun her to face him.

Surprised, Juliet looked up at Shawn. "What?"

With a grin, he leaned down and brushed his lips teasingly against hers.

Groaning softly, Juliet wound her arms around his neck and pressed herself tightly against him.

After a minute, Shawn broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Juliet's. "I love you, Jules," he murmured.

Juliet's eyes filled with tears. Every time he said that, she was stunned. "I love you, too, Shawn."

With a gentle hand, he smoothed her hair back. But as he moved in to kiss her again, something gave him pause. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Juliet watched him. "Shawn?"

The quiet of the night was shattered by the deafening sound of gunshots. Juliet didn't have time to react as she was shoved to the sidewalk by her boyfriend.

The gunfire ceased just as suddenly as it had started, and Juliet rolled away from Shawn as wheels squealed against the pavement. "What the hell was that?" she gasped.

No one responded to her question, and she reached out to Shawn. "Shawn, get up. We have to call this in."

She heard a weak groan, and as he rolled onto his back, Juliet felt terror grab at her heart.

Blood was rapidly blossoming across the front of Shawn's dark blue shirt, and she shook her head as she scooted closer to him. "No, no, no... Shawn?" She pulled her jacket off and pressed it against his chest. "Hang on, Shawn." She reached into her pocket and yanked out her cell phone, then placed a frantic call to 911.

Shawn groaned softly as Juliet pressed harder against the wound in his chest.

Moving closer to him, Juliet freed a hand and ran it through Shawn's hair. "You're going to be okay, baby. Help is on the way." She was amazed at how calm her voice sounded, when inside she was completely falling apart.

He forced his eyes open. "J-Jules...?"

His voice sounded so small, and it ripped at her heart. "I'm here, Shawn. Just keep talking to me." She winced as his blood soaked her jacket.

He fumbled for her hand as he coughed.

She let him grasp her hand. "Shh... Take it easy. Help is coming."

Another violet cough shook his body, and he gasped painfully as Juliet carefully lifted his upper body.

Whispering softly to him, she cradled Shawn against her chest and kissed his head. As a cop, she had seen too much violence, too much depravity. She had accepted her own mortality years ago, but the thought that something like this could ever happen never even occurred to her.

Shawn buried his face in Juliet's neck and held onto her with all of his strength. It was getting hard to breathe, but he couldn't leave her. He needed her too much.

Juliet held him tighter as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Stay with me, Shawn."

He pulled back just enough to see her face, and their eyes met. "Jules..."

She freed a hand and ran her thumb over his cheek. "What is it, Shawn?"

His eyes closed for a moment. "I-I love you, Jules..."

She sucked in a harsh breath. "Don't do that, Shawn," she pleaded. "You have to hang on. Please." Her hand moved gently over the side of his face. "Just hang on a little longer."

His fingers grasped her shirt. "Please...Jules..." He coughed again and winced at the metallic taste it brought.

She held him tighter and wondered where the hell the bus she had called for was. If they didn't hurry...

His grip on her shirt loosened. "Jules..." His voice was weak and strained as his breathing became more labored.

Bitter tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the man she loved fight for his life. As the seconds passed and the color drained from his face, she couldn't deny the painful truth. She could lose him. She leaned down and softly pressed her lips to his forehead.

He smiled weakly at the soft kiss. "Not... my mouth..." he whispered, garnering a small smile from Juliet.

Of course he would still joke at a time like this... She kissed him tenderly, cradling his head with her free hand.

He returned the kiss, and as she broke away, she saw that his eyes were closed. She ran her thumb over his cheek and swallowed a sob.

"Shawn?"

His chest rose slowly. In the distance, Juliet could finally hear the faint wail of an ambulance siren. She held Shawn tighter. "Shawn, help is coming. Stay with me."

He struggled to open his eyes again, but his vision was blurry. He tried to speak, to say one more time how much he loved the woman who was holding him, but the strength eluded him. He coughed weakly and shuddered.

Juliet panicked when his eyes closed again and his lungs produced an eerie rattle. "Shawn!"

She kissed him again, and more tears fell when he barely returned the kiss. She pulled back, watching in fear and pain as a gentle smile quirked the lips that she loved so much. His body shuddered as he took another breath, and his head lolled against her shoulder.

A pitiful wail erupted from her throat as he relaxed against her and his grip loosened on her shirt. "Shawn!"

Her heart shattered when she felt his staggered breathing halt, and she buried her nose in his hair and sobbed. "Shawn..."

A minute later, the paramedics finally arrived. But they were too late.

Carlton Lassiter arrived at the scene of the drive-by shooting, and his stomach churned as the soft cries of a woman filled the air. The ambulance was still on scene, which told him they hadn't arrived in time to save the victim. Another life snuffed out.

As he came closer, the cries grew louder. A woman with blond hair was sitting on the filthy sidewalk, and he prepared himself to talk to her so the ME, who was standing by with a sorrowful look, could take the body to the morgue.

What he wasn't prepared for was to see his partner's tearstained face as she lifted her head and their eyes met. He was taken aback by the agony in her features, and he finally realized who was cradled in her arms.

Shawn Spencer.

Lassiter took a long breath and finally resumed moving toward Juliet.

Juliet looked away from Lassiter and focused on Shawn's face. His skin was growing pale and cool, and even though she knew he was gone, she couldn't let him go.

Lassiter stopped in front of her and leaned down. "O'Hara, the ME is here." He was surprised at how gentle his voice came out. Normally his ways were gruff and borderline abusive, but tonight it would get him nowhere. "You have to let him go."

Juliet shook her head. "I can't, Carlton."

He reached out and placed a calloused hand on her shoulder. "He's gone, Juliet. There's nothing anyone can do. You have to let him go."

She pulled away and held Shawn tighter, sobbing quietly.

Lassiter watched her. He had never liked the supposed psychic, but in their years as partners, he had grown closer to O'Hara than he had most of his wives. He loved her like family, and it hurt him to see her in so much pain. "I know it's hard...but it's time..."

Everyone around them watched with deep sadness as Juliet finally released Shawn, and one paramedic stepped forward to ease Shawn's body out of her arms.

As Shawn was taken away, Juliet started to shake.

Uncomfortable, but not such an ass that he couldn't see how much she was hurting, Lassiter sat down beside his partner. Then he slid an arm around her.

At first, Juliet pushed him away. But his grip was firm, and after a moment she collapsed against him and buried her face in his shoulder.

Lassiter patted her back as he watched the paramedics place Spencer's body in a black bag. He wasn't sure what he felt. He knew he felt sadness for Juliet, and he supposed that he felt some sadness for the loss of such a young life, even if it was of someone that he had never particularly liked.

Juliet wept and closed her eyes tightly as she allowed Carlton to comfort her. But after a few minutes, she wiped her tears away and stood up.

Lassiter stared at her. "Where are you going, O'Hara?"

She straightened her back. "To give my statement."

"O'Hara, it can wait," he said gently, but she was already walking away.

Juliet ignored the sympathetic looks from the people surrounding them. Shawn was dead, and nothing would ever bring him back. She had lost the man she loved, leaving her heart and soul irreparably shattered.

She didn't look back.

The End.

A/N: Sad, I know! I wrote The End, but I might continue this. I haven't decided if I will or if I'll leave it as a oneshot. What did you readers think? Thanks for reading!


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